Immunitas
by foxhound42
Summary: Over a year after the zombie apocalypse a group of survivors flee Georgia in hopes of finding answers and a possible cure in DC. During their journey they are accosted by other formed groups, but one stranger may play a pivotal role in the answers they and others are dying and killing to find.
1. Chapter 1

"Maybe you should listen." Michonne said, trying to sway Rick. Terminus had heightened the group's sensitivity to strangers and with the new additions to their family they were finding harmony more difficult to keep steady. Objectives were another matter and as DC seemed to be the place on everyone's mind Rick kept it at the forefront of most all decisions. They stayed together for the most part, occasionally splitting for a few days to weeks depending on supplies but safety in numbers took on a whole new meaning now. Those still alive this long after the turn faced a new breed of human, one more territorial, more violent, and more hungry.

"Resources are getting sparse," Rick turned to look at Abraham who spoke. "We hit another herd we could be toast."

"Not if we're careful." Carol interjected herself into their conversation. Tyreese held Judith as Carl took his eyepatch from her. He had withstood an eye injury from the Termites and kept it covered since. He put it back on sliding the band over his long hair.

"We need a place to stay for the harder months of this winter." Maggie said and Glenn nodded in agreement.

"We could spend all winter _looking_ for a place to stay all winter." Sasha stated.

Beth took Judith from Tyreese and wrapped a jacket around her. "It's already getting cold," she said.

"Nothing has to change. We push forward through Hunter's Run, here," Rick pointed on a map that found them in northern Georgia. "Now, we find us a place to hole up for awhile with good proximity to supplies, and goods. All of us." He looked up at the group. "If we don't find a place we keep pushing northeast toward DC till we do."

The group was tired and with a somewhat disappointed agreement they all settled into their respective areas for the night. Daryl was on watch when Rick and Abraham approached him.

"Me and Abraham were talkin', and we think we should split the group to cover more area for supplies. What do you think?"

Daryl looked back out into the darkness.

"The direction we're headed," Daryl replied, "we're on the heels of others. Keep findin' two sets of tracks ahead o' ours."

"Walkers?" Abraham asked.

"Don't think so." Daryl jumped down from the top of their car. "They ain't far, might not be the best time to split."

Tara screamed in the distance outside of the camp's secure circle. All were alerted to her scream and found a herd of 30-40 walkers not far behind Tara as she ran grasping the top of her shoulder. "Walkers, run!"

As Tyreese, Carol, and Michonne drew their weapons heading toward the first line of walking dead.

Rick called to Carl who was fighting back walkers alongside Michonne. Soon there were more walkers.

"Too many, we got to get outta here." Daryl yelled to Rick.

Rick motioned for everyone to follow Daryl as he stayed behind to cover Carl and Michonne who were encircled by five walkers. As Michonne's katana blade sliced the heads off two of the rotten corpses, one of the other walkers tripped over a stump and fell, grabbing Carl along with him. Carl reached for his knife as he held the walker's forehead away from his living flesh but was unable to tug it loose from under him. When Rick saw his son from a distance he rushed upon the two walkers closing in on both he and Michonne. Carl's strength gave way and as the corpse's hungry mouth slung toward Carl's stomach to disembowel, a tomahawk flew out of the darkness and landed square into the hard skull of the undead. It collapsed on Carl as two figures ran to the aid of Michonne and Rick. One woman grasped the tomahawk and tugged it out kicking the cracked skull away. Carl rolled over and stood finally gaining access to his knife with his right hand and drew the gun in his holster with his left.

Carl looked to the long haired woman who slung her tomahawk wanting to express his gratitude but unable to speak. Gun shots rang through the dry, cool air as walkers not far from them started to fall and Rick could hear the bullets whizzing by him.

"Carl!" Rick grabbed his son's shirt and pulled him away from the two strangers panting heavily from running and fighting. The woman he could tell was injured badly with a huge gash to her upper stomach and the man, who appeared to be in military clothing, looked like he had taken a slice to his arm. "You have to run, all of you," said the fair-haired man. "Humans, they are closing in, clearing these woods."

Daryl approached them, crossbow aimed at the man who was talking.

"Daryl, no." Rick waved him down.

"I think it would be a good idea to head to the car now." Michonne said as she killed three more walkers and Daryl took out two.

Carl was already running when he turned behind and yelled, "Lets go!"

They all followed Daryl looking to see if the two strangers were following. As he did the sound of gunfire was closer and two shots fired, one hitting the back of the woman's left leg and as she turned to grasp at the sudden pain a second shot flew into the front of her thigh. She fell to the ground as her partner in the camouflage ran to her side."

"Just a bug bite hold on," he said as he wrapped her arm around his neck and forced her to run along side him. Daryl felt the need to assist but rattled by the unexpected gunfire he fled in the direction of the car where he found Rick already inside ready to drive with Michonne in the passenger side and Carl in the back.

"Where are they?" Rick asked as Daryl shut the door. A few moments after the camo man flung himself against Daryl's car door yelling for assistance with the woman hanging on his shoulder.

"Let them in, we can't leave them!" Carl yelled.

"The hell we can." Daryl sat unfazed by the bloody hand the man pounded on the car window.

"She saved my life, you're letting them in." Carl's more rough tone made Daryl shift his crossbow into his other arm as he opened the car door. The man emptied his arm of the woman who crawled in with him following close behind. As the door shut walkers began to rush the car and Rick took off. The woman sat up next to Daryl holding her ribs with her forearm. He saw the blood running over her white limb, sure it was her own from the brightness.

"Ain't a gun shot wound," he said.

"Took a fall and a rock cut her clean open, lost a lot of blood," the camo man pulled a rag from his pack lifting her arm and placing it over the long cut.

"She doesn't look good." Michonne said looking back handing a bottled water to Carl.

"We'll take you a couple miles out, know someone who can stitch her up," Rick said driving quite fast on a fairly clear road.

"You bring the heat with you or somethin'?" Daryl asked.

"Military, like myself, they are a strong group I left a few months ago. Coincidence they are going in the same direction as us."

"Who are you?"

"I'm Levi Cole. My partner is…is going to pass out on you, now."

The woman's brown hair fell forward as her body weakened and slid to her right falling against a rigid Daryl who caught her before she slid into his lap.

As Rick continued driving Daryl had taken and propped her back against his chest while Levi looked at her gun shot wounds. He saw the first bullet went clean through the outside of her leg, but the second had no exit and was still in the top of her thigh. He clumsily cut the top of her jeans with his pocket knife. Frustrated at the dullness of the pocket knife, Daryl pulled his hunting knife out and cut it himself. Levi was agitated at Daryl's impatience but looked closely at the entry wound and pressed into the opening with his finger to feel how deep it had gone. Before he could feel it his finger was nearly half of the way in when she jolted forward out of her unconsciousness with a scream that startled the entire car.

"Shit." Levi cursed as he realized the depth of the bullet. "I'll need something long with a good grip." He leaned over the woman and touched her shoulder. "Have to get the bullet out, Sky."

She grabbed him loosely by the shirt, "Get your bacteria-ridden finger out of my leg, you fool. Fuck the bullet, I'm bleeding to death."

Levi looked somewhat concerned but nodded his head as he pulled her wrists off his collar. Carl took a rag out of his pocket and handed it to Daryl. "This is cleaner," he said as he moved to the front of the vehicle between Rick and Michonne providing more room for them.

Tying the rag tightly around her leg Rick ran over debris in the road and the car jerked sending the back seat up and crashing hard back to the ground. Sky winced and screamed in pain. "Hold her down, will ya?" Daryl held her arms down and yelled up to Rick, "Ain't the best time for off-roadin'."

Daryl's arm began to feel the warm blood as he realized it was wrapped over the long laceration on her stomach. Carl noticed at the same time as he peered over the middle of the seat where he sat.

"We need to find a place to stop for the night, we are far from the direction the herd was going." Michonne told Rick.

"A little further," he said with a glance to Michonne, unsure if they should mention how many others in their group were still out there. Daryl noticed Rick's hesitation and motioned for Carl to turn around. The painful exasperations that rose from her throat fell to a strange silence as her eyes glazed over and her face washed over a pale white.

"Sew me up, I'll be fine," she mumbled with all the breath she had left, audible only to Daryl and Levi, and passed out, her head falling backward between Daryl's neck and shoulder.


	2. Chapter 2

The car drove into a greenway high on a hill overlooking a valley. On the other side of the valley the woods they had fled were covered in a ceiling of yellowwoods and oaks. Michonne exited the car with Rick and contemplation crossed his face as he looked around the park area seemingly clear of walkers.

"It's as good a place as any." He looked out over the bluff.

"The woman needs stitches," Michonne replied.

"Trunk's got a kit, he can use what he needs but we're leaving them tomorrow."

Michonne stood hesitant at his colder than normal decision. Taking notice he glanced from her to Carl who jumped out of the car and led Levi to the trunk of the vehicle. They rummaged through bags until he found a small first aid kit, water, and a camp pot. With a sigh he mumbled as he left Michonne, "Take Carl to help secure a perimeter before it gets too dark."

Daryl still held the woman who was going in and out of unconsciousness in the car as Levi took out his lighter and ran it under a metal cup with water, a fish hook, and fishing wire until it began to boil. With the fishing wire he threaded the hook carefully in the back seat of the car.

"Barbed hook?" Daryl asked.

"All there was." Levi carefully stitched the small bullet hole and the gash on the outside of her thigh. Worry didn't leave Levi's expressions as he waited for a shrill jolt or scream from her but there was nothing. Carl probed questions to her silence until Rick called him to set up camp with Michonne. He took more rags and laid them across the woman's stomach below Daryl's arm which lay across her anterior cut. "Okay, let's see it." Levi pulled her down till her head was on the seat and Daryl took his arm off exposing material saturated in blood. The gash wasn't as deep as he imagined. As he lifted the fabric cool air met her wound and she began to stir awake. Her hands ran up her stomach. Before her fingers reached the open cut Daryl grabbed her and stared at Levi.

"I ain't holdin' her all day."

"Wire slipped out." He made a small effort to rinse the black walker fluid and red human blood from under his fingernails before he began. The large hook slowly punctured her white flesh on one side and then through the other. Her faced winced as he tied a surgeons knot in the first suture. This was his first time he had stitched a wound and his hands shook slightly but steadied after the first three. The injury he watched being sewn up months before was much deeper but he still applied the same technique and knotting, assured it would stop the hemorrhaging.

Daryl kept an eye on Carl and Michonne between Levi's deep breaths after each stitch. There was hesitation he knew what he was doing but the care at which he took with the woman made Daryl recognize something trusting and good in them both. The woman would claw and squeeze his forearm when she was conscious from the pain using all effort not scream or make any noise to attract the undead resulting in shallow enough breathing to illicit a fainting spell. The skin on her face and neck were beaded with sweat and when she would pull his arms down to try and talk to Darly her whispers were only puffs of air. Soon her strength was gone and the last suture was tied.

After he cleaned her up with a few rags Levi and Daryl situated her in the car when she drifted into sleep. He was exhausted and sat on the ground trying to rub away his growing headache. Neither he nor his partner had come across food in a few days and it was now reaching into the smaller crevices of his brain.

Michonne stood watch on the other side of the car with her katana by her leg. Rick, Daryl, and Carl had a small fire started and passed around a bottled water.

"I know what you are wanting to do," Carl said out of earshot to Levi and the car. "We won't leave them here." Rick looked to Daryl and scratched his beard which was now as thick as the hair on his head. New blood meant new unknowns and though the woman had saved Carl's life he was still apprehensive about their possible intentions for such a debt. He had built a stronger protection around his family against outsiders that seemed less penetrable to empathy in these new days of survival. Even if he believed they were good people, what could they be running from, moreover, what could be following them. They needed to move fast and felt more people would slow their progress especially one who was as injured and in need of care as the woman.

"Ask them." Carl stood. "Go, ask them!"

"Carl," Rick replied with a pleading expression.

Calmly Carl walked to Levi nursing his headache. "How many walkers have you killed?"

Confused by the sudden appearance and question Levi threw out an estimate he deemed close enough. "Stopped counting after two-hundred."

Rick and Daryl approached their conversation listening intently. Daryl watched Levi's body language. It was somewhat submissive as he stayed sitting below Carl who kindly interrogated him as he probed with the more personal questions.

"How many humans have you killed?"

"Since the turn, fourteen."

"Why?"

He hesitated before his answer and drew in a breath. "Thirteen out of self-defense. One…I did what I had to to save a group."

"Since the turn?" Daryl spoke up with concern in his voice.

"I am, was, a contract Special Ops officer for the U.S. military. I had my fair share before this thing started." Levi answered and looked to Daryl who motioned his head toward the sleeping woman in the car.

Realizing what he was asking in the gesture he stood and packed up the small backpack. "She's probably killed as many walkers as any of us combined. She can't shoot worth a hell though, don't let her convince you otherwise, 'cause she'll try."

"Her name is Sky?" Carl asked.

"Skylar Wolfthal."

"She ops too?" Rick asked.

Levi finished with the backpack and held it out to Rick. "No. I don't know what she is."

"She ain't mute." Daryl added.

"We've only been together for a few months. Efficient team. She never talked about what she did before, frankly, didn't care too much to ask. Old lives in the new world are just that, old." He rolled down his shirt sleeves and put on his jacket carefully pulling it over his injured arm. "I appreciate the kit. But I gather you you aren't wanting to take us to your group."

No one said anything.

"You said you knew someone who could sew her up. Figured you changed your mind when we stopped here."

"Understand we appreciate you helping us out, now, we do," Rick began expressing his gratefulness and hesitation in hand gestures.

"They don't trust you." Carl spoke up. "They don't have a reason to." He turned to Daryl and Rick shadowing Levi. "But I do."

Daryl and Rick didn't take their gaze from Carl who's determined face grew a sternness neither had seen before. On the other side of the car Michonne heard the exchange and a slight half-grin painted her face.

The two strangers didn't have intentions to join a new group, however, with the encroachment of this military group Levi knew their chances, especially Skylar's, were better in numbers. He didn't know the group dynamic they had just stepped into but was certain Rick must be the leader.

Rick slowly nodded his head, and turned back towards the fire with nothing more to say. He fixed himself up something similar to a sleeping bag on the ground and pulled his coat up around his neck as he listened further to their conversation.

"We're both good with weapons and if you want us to go at any time we will."

"You won't need to." Carl replied.

Levi checked on Skylar and felt her head as she mewled and tossed in her sleep. "She'll need antibiotics soon."

"We'll find a place." Daryl said as he walked over toward Rick.

Carl knelt on his knee and observed her along with Levi. "She'll be okay?"

"I don't know." Levi noticed the worry in his face. "I owe her too," he said as he tapped him on the arm.

With a last look to Skylar, Carl left to take watch for awhile with Michonne. They talked but their mumbles reached no one else's ears. Levi reclined the front seat to sleep for the night. Before he dosed off he turned to see Skylar blinking awake. He flipped over and adjusted the blanket around her shoulders. "I know you're in pain, but you have to stay quiet."

Her mind raced with the events of the previous hours but she couldn't remember where she was. She saw Levi and remembered seeing his face as he hovered over her stomach. Her head pounded and a quick fear of walkers surprising them sunk deep in her chest which she clutched over the blankets.

"We're safe till morning," he said, "Skylar, just relax."

"Am I still in the car?" she asked relaxing her arm down, feeling her tomahawk still on her hip.

"Yeah."

"Did they leave us?"

"Still here. Think the kid, Carl, had something to do with that." Levi rested his head back. "His dad and the crossbowman didn't seem too thrilled but we'll at least be able to stay with them long enough for you to get healed."

"Rick and Daryl. And you so sure I'm not going to die?" She felt her own head and moved her legs with a few whimpers.

"Of course you are. Just not anytime soon."

Exasperated with adjusting to a more comfortable position she sighed and went motionless, giving in to her tired muscles and sore body.

Daryl was tired but made efforts not to show it. After he checked in with Michonne and Carl he settled in for sleep but couldn't look away from the fire Rick starred in as well.

"I know she saved him, but that don't mean nothing anymore. Not anymore." Rick confessed, his tone bargaining and searching.

"It's not your debt," Daryl said laying his head down and closing his eyes, "It's his."


	3. Chapter 3

The door burst with a loud thud to the wall when they rushed into the pharmacy. Daryl took out a lone walker and Carl and Rick cleared the remaining three, one half torn apart on the floor behind the counter in a lab coat.

"Clear back here." Levi yelled as he came in through the back of the building kicking around empty pill bottles on the floor occasionally looking to see if any were what they were looking for.  
>"Looks like it was picked over pretty bad." Rick said. His eyes peered through the disheveled shelving his eyes empty and tired.<p>

"Here are some clean bandages and rubbing alcohol." Carl showed Levi and slung his backpack off to stow the items away. They continued to search the bottles for anything.

"This is the third one. Just can't find that shit anymore." Levi suddenly tossed one of the orange bottles across the room. The previous days they spent quietly moving from town to town but had yet to come across any antibiotics. Skylar was healing quickly but the bullet wound in her leg was beginning to show infection. Any pressure on the leg from standing made her limp in pain. Michonne restricted her movement and often was the one who stayed back with her while the others scavenged for supplies. Levi and Skylar weren't sure if they could trust these people but necessity superseded their cautious nature.

It had been nearly two weeks since the forest was cleared and the group separated. Rick was anxious to get back to Judith after the short reunion they shared, it felt similar to losing her a second a time. Carl and Daryl both still shaken by what had taken place with the marauders and later at Terminus seemed the least concerned with the new strangers they had acquired. Carl instinctually felt a trust for them both, especially Skylar. Their fates were now directly linked to him and he would have it no other way. Frustration at where the rest of their group was seemed at the forefront of Rick's mind but he knew they had to press toward DC as was discussed if separation ever happened. Eventually they would run into each other.

"You done that before?" asked Michonne. The past few days in the old abandoned house where they stayed, she had grown to get along well with Skylar. Memories of a winter with Andrea made her nostalgic and somewhat nervous to get too close to the new woman.

Skylar laid on her side slowly push ing the knife's sharp point into the swollen fluid filled pocket of her injured leg. Her face grimaced as infected tissue and blood flew out of the punctured skin. "Agh, fucking hell!" she exclaimed.

"Pretty dirty mouth for such a fancy name," Daryl walked in with Rick and the others and tossed a bottle of pills to her.

"Don't get excited, they're just pain pills, but they're strong," Levi explained, "Still didn't come across what we're looking for." He knelt down to look at her leg. "Hey, we'll find some." He said reassuringly.

"Shit, you found hydromorphone?" she asked.

Levi glanced up, "Daryl snagged it from a satchel on the back of a walker."

Carl came over to her and gave her what items he had found.

The abandoned house they were holed up in looked to have been a military outpost at one point. They found a small stash of ammunition and two guns but most of the food was gone. The living area was converted to sleeping quarters with mattresses pulled on the floor and sofas lining the walls. It opened to the kitchen where there was a wood burning stove and a decent supply of wood. Things must have gone south there rather quickly for those who left seemed only to take what they could carry. The weather blew much colder now but all intentions were not to stay but a few more days. The location was high and walkers were scarce. Despite the low threat, Rick still assigned night watch.

"Carl you sleep tonight, Michonne and I will watch," Rick said.

"You've been up two nights with no sleep," Levi began, "I'll take it."

Daryl saw his hesitation and spoke up. "I got it."

"All I've been doing is laying around, let me watch. Nothing's wrong with my ears or eyes, and I can shoot straight." Skylar sat up from the mattress. She had taken watch during the day but her offers were refused for previous evening watches. Her leg was decent enough to walk on in pain, button for long.

"It would be better if you rest," Rick said.

"We'll be fine," Skylar said as she pushed herself up against a chair grabbing her tomahawk and handgun.

Daryl shrugged his shoulders to Rick and Levi both looking at the other to speak up again. Previous refusals had ended in a few choice words, ones no one wished to deal with at that moment.

"Fine," Rick agreed, "Six hour shift, then Levi will take over."

Swinging his crossbow over his shoulder Daryl left the house with Skylar hobbling behind getting around much faster than they anticipated or she hid her pain well.

They settled atop a clearing close to the dark house. There were little noises to be heard outside Skylar's occasional readjustments from her sitting position on the ground leaning against her bag. Daryl sat next to her shooting a few unconscious looks. He was curious about her, she seemed young, a little rough, quiet, warm in her conversations with his family, but protective of information from too personal of questions. It was a formal, necessary, and expected characteristic given the state of the world, but she only gave enough to placate.

There were instances where she reminded him of Andrea; strong, strong-willed, kind, and caring. He had not seen her work with Levi and was curious as to their origins. A few hours past with little words between them. As she changed out a bandage on her leg he knelt down and rested his crossbow to the ground.

"You know 'bout medicine?" he asked.

"Maybe a degree above the average person," she replied, her southern accent not as drawn as a Georgian. "Thought I was going to be a doctor one day a long time ago." She tossed the used bandage. Daryl pulled out a small flask from his jacket and extended it out to her.

"Holdin' out?" She smiled and poured a bit over her wound. There was rubbing alcohol in her bag but didn't want to imbue his kind gesture with the fact. She raised it to her lips to take a swig and he nearly knocked it out of her hand taking it from her.

"Ya crazy?" he asked screwing the lid back on. "Brave enough to be around someone on hydromorphone with a gun, but not liquor too."

"I didn't take any, I knew I was night watchin'," she explained, surprised by his reaction. Trying to casually garner information about him she continued. "Why?"

"Stuff alone 'll have you seeing shit. With alcohol, it, just ain't good."

"The pills aren't like injections." She saw he was somewhat bothered by the discussion and seemed more knowledgeable than she anticipated. "I'm sorry. Pain is starting to kick in a little harder. I hadn't had whisky in a long time."

"Don't seem like the whisky type."

"I'm a type?" she asked surprised again.

He shrugged his shoulders.

"I'd like to think I'm a high-end scotch if I'm anything." She sighed at the loss of finer libations. "That sounds good." She change the subject when her belly began to groan from hunger. "Your eye okay? Still looks pretty bad."

"It's fine."

"How'd you get it?"

"How'd you get your cut that got stitched?"

His quick response alerted her to the intrusion she must have made him feel.

"Just a question," he said, "Looks like you got on the bad side of someone with a knife, not no slice from a rock." He saw the confusion in her face. "Your pal told me you took a fall and got cut open."

"I guess you could say something like that."

Daryl noticed her avoidance.

"Carl told me what happened," she said as she tightened the new bandage on her leg after removing a hunting knife hidden in her boot. "On the road."

He felt a sudden guilt take over his form but tried to hide it.

"They are all lucky you were there," she said confidently. "Hard to avoid those types of groups these days. There are few good people left, and even they are grasping at their last reserves."

Daryl looked to find her staring at him almost gaging his response by his body language.

A twig snapped not far from them and both jumped to their feet, their ears bending in the direction of the sudden noise. Daryl motioned to her to stay back and he ran into the edge of the woods brandishing his crossbow. He quietly moved while listening to the groans of a walker approaching. It was smaller and its voice didn't carry like others he had come across staggering through the dry leaves. Upon closer inspection he noticed it was a young boy, probably 10 or 11 years old, or what once was one. It lurked closer but he didn't release a bolt, he was fixated on the walker's gaze. Rarely they came across children alone, but this one looked fresh, and evidence of the boy's final moments were left on his body. Two steps away from Daryl the walker fell backward from a direct blow to the head with Skylar's hunting knife. She approached the walker yanking the knife from its skull and looking toward Daryl.

"You know him?"

"I had it."

"I know." She responded. "Looked like it." She began walking back to their hill.

"No, I didn't know him. Just a kid." He said as he caught up with her keeping the slow pace her limp furnished.

"I hadn't seen a kid for over a year until I saw Carl. It's a strange feeling, you know?"

"Tough kid." Daryl added.

Her dealings with Carl were highlighted by his kindness. Rick had made a comment indirectly to Michonne about Carl's trusting and openness with Skylar and though her motives still concerned him, he was grateful for Carl to have a confidant.

"About an hour left," Daryl said, "You head back I'll finish up. It'll take you that long to hobble to the house."

"I could have sworn I killed a walker tonight, must have been something else," she said sarcastically. She grabbed her back pack and made it a few feet before she remembered. "Hey, what else did Levi say when I was out?"

"Said you can't shoot worth shit."


End file.
